Dominique Thread!

[Zone3Dakota]

Thanks everyone!

Yes, ive lurked about BYC and have gleaned much info.

We are lucky to have a frame for a forty foot trailer and an old hay wagon, both of which can be moved around the property quite easily. That's good, because there's hardly a tree on the place! They will be great cover.

As far as wattles are concerned, we can have the nation's high temp in the summer, just as well as the expected low temps in the winter. It's just that we have so very many low temp days compared to the hot weather days. Keeping warm/unfrozen water would not be a huge problem. Occasionally greasing wattles won't be a problem with those that cooperate.

We only need a half dozen hens to keep us in eggs for eating. We'd probably be swamped with that many, during their pullet year. Our first will probably be 'run captives' until they've raised babies that are old enough to go out foraging. We'll see how it goes.

I don't even know how much coop space that I can squeak out of dh.

 

[Sylvester017]

Thanks everyone!

Yes, ive lurked about BYC and have gleaned much info.

We are lucky to have a frame for a forty foot trailer and an old hay wagon, both of which can be moved around the property quite easily. That's good, because there's hardly a tree on the place! They will be great cover.

As far as wattles are concerned, we can have the nation's high temp in the summer, just as well as the expected low temps in the winter. It's just that we have so very many low temp days compared to the hot weather days. Keeping warm/unfrozen water would not be a huge problem. Occasionally greasing wattles won't be a problem with those that cooperate.

We only need a half dozen hens to keep us in eggs for eating. We'd probably be swamped with that many, during their pullet year. Our first will probably be 'run captives' until they've raised babies that are old enough to go out foraging. We'll see how it goes.

I don't even know how much coop space that I can squeak out of dh.

Don't make the mistake we did putting vaseline on our Leghorn's comb and wattles - the stuff is so-o-o-o greasy that when it melts into the feathers dirt will stick and stain the feathers and the chicken will look dirty until her next moult. Use vitamin E oil (about $4 at Walmart for a little bottle that lasts a long time). It lubricates and softens the wattles but doesn't grease up the feathers. We also massage our chickens' feet, legs, and beak with it at roost time and by morning it has a chance to absorb into their skin and protects from either dry or moist air. And when they dust-bathe there's no dirt sticking to their feathers. Recommended by our vet.

 

[Alaskan]

Alaskan, you are definitely north of me, but I'm betting that we get just about as much cold weather as you.  Any problems with the Dom roos in the cold?

I was also wondering...if I can address those who have had Doms a while...do the northern breeders strive for smaller wattles on their birds, verses the southern breeders?  If I recall correctly, Doms are to have a medium size wattle.  Knowing how critter judges be, in other critter areas, there is a large range of 'middlenesses' that are allowed, or even desired.  Walking on eggshells, here.  I dunno if there is a short answer to this, or if it needs it's own thread,or the subject is dealt with elsewhere, or even if it could be viewed as trolling, lol. 

Actually, I am in a warm part of Alaska, I am sure you get lots colder.

I usually don't go below -10F, but I have oodles of wind (which as you know makes everything much worse), AND high humidity.

This will be my first winter with Doms, but not my first with chickens...

1. Doms and wattle size....I COMPLETELY agree with you! Some Doms are bred with giant wattles IMO. I looked around for awhile before I found a breeder who had birds with tight wattles. I found three, but only one shipped, Windy Ridge Dominiques (eggs, not chicks). I am planning on hatching out lots of chicks, and specifically selecting for tiny wattles (among other Dom traits of course).

2. Northern breeders and wattles.....boggles my mind, but LOTS of people heat their coops!

I do not heat my coop, I do NOT use artificial light, and I only heat my waterer if it freezes solid in less than one hour. And, my leghorns laid wonderfully all winter. I know the doms won't lay as well as the leghorns...

I have found that the thin points on a rooster's single comb will freeze off, and the front edges of large wattles will freeze off. This is only a minor ignorable problem. I would like to avoid it (which is why I am moving to mostly tiny combed breeds), but it isn't a big problem. It can actually be completely ignored, the frostbit area takes care of itself, all you need to watch out for is if other birds peck at the wound. Honestly, I do not understand why some people spend so much time doctoring frostbite on these areas, they heal perfectly when left alone, they do not need antibiotics etc. The only impressively bad cases I have seen is where the birds were fed wet foods in the winter (like cooked warm oatmeal, warm mash, wet fermented feed, etc.).

I feed only dry foods in the winter...things like bacon fat and oil are fed in their cold congealed state. Extra fat is great when it is cold.

Frostbit toes ARE a BAD problem, and need to be avoided. But, all you need to do is
- make sure that birds can roost with completely flat feet
- lots of venting, yes, even with temps at -20, at -30 closing vents would probably be OK...but I don't ever get that cold so IDK
- keep the water way far away from where the birds roost, outside is perfect
- no moving air anywhere on or near perches.

I give my birds their water in pans, so they could conceivably walk through the water, get wet feet, that then freeze off, but that has never happened.

 

[Alaskan]

Long enough answer for you?

 

[gootziecat]

Alaskan, I enjoyed your answer and while I may not be as far north as you, it does get cold here and frozen combs are a concern. I agree with you completely with breeding for smaller and tighter combs and wattles. Not only is it practical to breed that way, it looks nicer, esthetically. I am contemplating trying the Doms again, and that would be a desirable trait to including for breeding.

 

[Zone3Dakota]

Thank you, all! Yup, it gets cold here...lots of wind. Especially the property where we are building. No trees to speak of, but we planted carraganas(my son always called them bug bushes), green ash, long needle pines. About half the pines croaked, but can replant. If the deer don't wipe them all out this winter...they may be big enough to block some wind about the time they wheel me into the nursing home, lol. Also, planted some larger apple trees and some nanking cherries, tartarian honeysuckle, apricots... but we also have some buckbrush and lots of taller grasses and legumes.

humidity varies wildly, year to year.

Okay, I've read that smaller combs can mean less fertility in some breeds/strains. I'm assuming that this means rooster fertility...low sperm count or slow wigglers? Does anyone know if it applies to Doms or some strains of Doms?

I'm so full of questions. If I get pesty, just let me know.

 

[The Yakima Kid]

Ooooh! They're at that cute "vulturine" stage where they look sort of like less fuzzy baby buzzards!

 

[The Yakima Kid]

I LOVE Leghorns for so many reasons and because my folks raised Babcocks for nearly 15 years I am very familiar with the White SC varieties. But Mediterranean class fowl are not shrinking violets - yes they are usually mind-their-own-business independent alert foragers but for lightweight birds can really get assertive in their adult years to the point of actually bullying smaller or the larger gentler breeds so I wouldn't put any Mediterraneans in a mixed flock of non-assertive breeds. If your RCBLs turn out great layers than I would hesitate keeping them with gentler or smaller breeds.

Though Dominiques are not shrinking violets either they are less combative than Mediterranean breeds and I wouldn't mix the two breeds. EEs and Ameraucanas are non-combative gentle souls and are really lighterweight than all their fluff leads you to believe so I wouldn't put them in a mix of RCBLs either. Our Buff Leg tore out the beard/muff of our Amer (my avatar) who didn't fight back and they were the exact same age! We had to re-home both our White and Buff Legs - wonderful birds but too assertive around our gentler breeds.

Buckeyes were created with pea combs for dual purpose in cold climates and brood their own young so should do as well as the Dominiques. I just prefer Dominiques because of their overt friendliness and curiosity with human interraction - excellent feed-to-egg ratio, excellent foragers, rose combs, brood their own young, good layers, cold hardy, alert, friendly, no feathered feet or muffs, speckled camouflage feathering that is extremely s-o-f-t to the touch and some use the feathers for fly-fishing, extra cockerels dress out nice, etc etc. I love so many chicken breeds for various reasons but the Dom fits the bill in every category I come up with as either a pet or a utility breed for all climates and productivity.

Aren't Babcocks considered on the less cannibalistic commercial Leghorn strains?

Definitely be careful mixing any birds with a tendency to aggression in the coop. This year I have heard of several severely injured Silkies and one that was scalped to death. I don't like to ever put a crested breed in with any non-crested breed because their visual handicap and different appearance is a magnet for biddy bullies.

The thing I find most interesting about Dominiques is there extreme efficiency as foragers. They manage to find significant food in our small mini-orchard, and under the cane berry and blue berry hedges, as well as under the grape vines. They eat lower hanging fruit, which doesn't bother me, and they eat grape vines that have overgrown and hit the ground. Very light on the feeder. Remember, if your yard is a typical suburban lawn they probably won't find much forage.

 

[The Yakima Kid]

Thank you, all! Yup, it gets cold here...lots of wind. Especially the property where we are building. No trees to speak of, but we planted carraganas(my son always called them bug bushes), green ash, long needle pines. About half the pines croaked, but can replant. If the deer don't wipe them all out this winter...they may be big enough to block some wind about the time they wheel me into the nursing home, lol. Also, planted some larger apple trees and some nanking cherries, tartarian honeysuckle, apricots... but we also have some buckbrush and lots of taller grasses and legumes.

humidity varies wildly, year to year.

Okay, I've read that smaller combs can mean less fertility in some breeds/strains. I'm assuming that this means rooster fertility...low sperm count or slow wigglers? Does anyone know if it applies to Doms or some strains of Doms?

I'm so full of questions. If I get pesty, just let me know.

There seems to be a tendency for rose combed roosters to be less fertile. This is why some old time Dominique breeders didn't cull all of the blade comb chicks that were born, and would keep and use the occasional single comb bird as a breeder.

 

[The Yakima Kid]

Dom breeders are rare ANYWHERE! I'm surprised you even found a private breeder. There aren't any LF breeders in my state. I have to get my Doms from the feed store who orders most of his assorted breeds from Privett Hatchery in NM so consider yourself lucky to find a breeder somewhere within driving distance. If I wanted to pickup from a private breeder I would have to drive from SoCal to Oregon or WA or go to the bird show in the SF Bay area of CA over 500 miles away - that kind of trip would take 2-3 days one way and pretty stressful for the birds. That's why I order USPS shipped juvenile birds (no chicks) that ship to me overnight to my local P.O. for pickup.

AMEN! I get mine from Cackle because I'm in the Bay Area and I can't find any either. Occasionally they come into show from out of state, but it's not common. I'm hoping to find some Dom breeders at the show over by Hollister next January; I've missed every show this year, and I need to thin out the flock before adding any more. Realistically, it might be several years before I can get any birds from a breeder.